The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus as secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the type II diabetes mellitus was less likely than not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, but the Board found this opinion inadequate and instead relied on medical studies and articles suggesting an association between obstructive sleep apnea and type II diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Type II Diabetes Mellitus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- September 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20062104
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20062104.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding obesity as an intermediate step in causing or aggravating these conditions, and because of potential toxic exposure during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II Diabetes Mellitus has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal before the Board could make a decision.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.